The Vice Chancellor encourages to meet students' expectations amid the launch of mentorship scheme at UR-CE

Submitted by webmaster on Tue, 11/14/2017 - 16:25

The University of Rwanda-College of Education officially launched the maiden mentorship programme. The new scheme intends among others to narrow the gap between academics and students by providing more space for discussion beyond class sessions. It was officiated by the University of Rwanda Vice-Chancellor.

Speaking at the event, Prof Phil Cotton, the UR Vice Chancellor noted that the mentorship scheme is the perfect opportunity to meet students’ expectations. He called on academics to keep and carry on relationship with students even after the studies. He witnessed that after 30 years he is still close with people he mentored with whom he shares great memories.

In his remarks on the occasion, Prof. George Njoroge, the College’s Principal said that mentorship is one of the University’s initiatives that aim to make transformation that the country needs. He also emphasized on time management and asked UR-CE community to change the way they have been doing the business.

“We want transformation of the University that the country will be proud of, transformation that will help us to achieve sustainable goals,” Njoroge noted, adding that with the mentorship scheme, the University seeks to provide a dialogue platform in which academics and students will be fully engaged.

Student Mentorship is a newly initiated programme at the University of Rwanda which will see students (mentees) affiliated to an academic (mentor) and the later will assist them on key issues ranging from academic life, social, psychological to mention but a few. More specifically, the scheme stipulates that, beyond the routine academic encounter, academics shall have a group of students that they will meet on a regular basis with a view to listen to them and guide them in the right direction.

Besides, the new move is expected to boost students’ performance as factors that might impede learning and teaching will be detected in the course of mentorship. Mentors will deal with students’ issues, find timely solution and hence contribute to their success. Students will have mentors as they are admitted at the College until the end of their studies.